The article is dedicated to the 95th birthday anniversary of the eminent Soviet and Russian forensic researcher, Distinguished Scientist, Doctor of Law, Professor R.S. Belkin. It looks at the milestones of his creative career in the development of Russian criminalistics and forensic expertology. Included is a detailed overview of Prof. R.S. Belkin's most significant scientific works on the general theory of criminalistics, forensic techniques, forensic tactics, and the general theory of forensic science (forensic expertology).

The article presents the authors' perspective on the issues of the genesis of scientific ideas concerning organizational aspects of forensic practice, and specifically systems for ensuring its quality and effectiveness. Key stages in the transformation of the concept of scientific organization of labor into the system of international quality standards and their influence on the organization of forensic practice are examined. Further highlighted are Professor R.S. Belkin's outstanding contributions to establishing the theoretical principles of quality management and their dialectical development in forensic expertology.

The article discusses some special methods and approaches to forensic linguistic analysis that may lead to the occurrence of “expert phantoms”, or speculative contradictory findings instead of science-based linguistic facts. The use of linguistic methods that modify the original text as a piece of linguistic evidence, or artificially create a new virtual object (“complex separate text”) by combining different texts, can be seen as the basis for evaluating an expert’s opinion as irrelevant or inadmissible evidence.

The article deals with the issues of identifying the objects of forensic software analysis for use in court proceedings. A classification of such objects is offered based on the various development and operational aspects of computer software. The author identifies a set of examination objectives that have to be addressed by software analysis in order to yield useful evidence for the court.

The paper examines the problems of forensic forgery detection in digitally manipulated documents. The feasibility of questioned signature identification from document photocopies is also considered.

Professor R.S. Belkin's role in the development of criminology and forensic science is widely recognized. The theory he advanced to connect criminalistics and the natural sciences was of great importance for the establishment of new forensic disciplines. During his time as head of the department of forensic science theory Professor Belkin focused on newly emerging fields of forensic research and the development of their theoretical foundations. His vision was marked by a deep understanding that ecology is a subfield of biology, but forensic ecology is not part of forensic biology. It is largely due to his talent to anticipate the emergence of new trends in response to the needs of investigative practice that these forensic disciplines were established and continue to develop.

This overview focuses on the conceptualization of authenticity as a practical category that has always preoccupied those pondering the reality of the world as such, and aspiring to make sense of themselves and their purpose in this world. The problem of authenticity is examined from the perspectives of various fields of human knowledge. For instance, in legal philosophy and law enforcement the issue of authenticity is interpreted in strictly utilitarian terms. The subject comes up whenever physical evidence, documents or information need to be tested for authenticity. The current legal understanding of the problem is analyzed to show that it still lacks sophistication.

The appointment and production of forensic investigation is one of the most common procedural actions in modern legal proceedings, along with the evaluation of the expert witness statement by the body (person) that ordered the examination. The article deals with a number of problems associated with evaluating of the expert witness statement reflecting the progress and results of a forensic construction investigation. Reliability is the most complex and contradictory criterion in the evaluation of expert testimony. Taking into account the courts' constantly growing need for construction forensics expert services, on the one hand, and insufficient elaboration of this assessment criterion for this kind of expert evidence, on the other hand, the authors explore the subject in depth and present their interpretation of the notion of «reliability», as applied to the evaluation of construction forensics expert statements.

The article analyzes the nature, content, and variety of procedures that are used by authorized subjects (organizations and government agencies) for the purposes of financial monitoring as a form of financial control of banking operations in the Russian Federation. The author proposes a classification of financial monitoring procedures based on analysis of the national banking legislation and secondary legal acts issued by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. A definition of the notion of legal techniques used for financial monitoring of the banking system in Russia is also presented. The paper argues in favor of comprehensive financial monitoring, as well as combined control and informational nature of procedures used for the financial monitoring of banking operations in Russia.

The paper reports on the original findings of scanning electron microscope comparison of the fine structure of primary remiges inFalco rusticolus, F. cherrug, F. peregrinus, and F. rusticolus х F. cherrug. The study identified a number of species-specific microstructural characteristics that show a high diagnostic potential for taxonomic identifications in forensic biology.

The late 20^th century saw the development of a new special framework for the conservation of large mammals – both tigers and their prey, mostly ungulates, – along with their habitats in the Far East of Russia. Tightening controls on poaching, illicit trafficking and trade in wild animals and their parts, as well as enforcement of adequate penalties for these crimes rely on effective crime detection procedures and quality forensic investigation, which provides important grounds for prosecution. There are currently only four organizations conducting such forensic investigations within the geographic range of the Amur tiger.

Efforts to facilitate forensic assistance have included production of the monograph “The Basics of Wildlife Forensics”, establishment of a veterinary treatment and diagnostic center for post-mortem examinations and a carcass storage facility for preservation of forensic evidence, and ongoing work to create biorepositories.

However, there is still no streamlined system for state-supported forensic investigation of crimes against wildlife and forensic examinations of wild animals, their parts and derivatives.

Such examinations should be conducted by specialized centers under designated conservation authorities of the constituent subjects of the Russian Federation, similar to the forensic bureaus of the Ministry of the Interior.

The paper discusses the EU's decision to establish the first supranational law enforcement body – the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) – and further articulates the notion of “supranationalism”. The author argues for the need to develop a strategic plan for interaction between the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation and the EPPO to ensure effective oversight over the practice of forensic science and criminalistics, lawfulness of the actions of preliminary investigation units conducting forensic and search operations, and the use of specialized knowledge in transnational crime prevention, detection and response. Adoption of an updated strategy for international cooperation in this field has prompted national jurisdictions to place greater emphasis on the issues of the expert's initiative, proactive forensics, and predictive forensics.

The paper presents an overview of the work typically performed at the crime scene by specialists of the Forensic Science Service of the Israel Police. It describes the standard crime scene algorithm and modern methods of shoeprint, fingerprint, and bare footprint detection using the example of a hypothetical generic crime — the murder of a urban apartment owner in the course of a burglary.

The paper reports on the outcomes of the seminar «Current issues in forensic video and audio analysis» organized by RFCFS and Kaliningrad Forensic Science Laboratory. Participants included forensic experts and specialists from forensic science organizations of the Russian Ministry of Justice and other national and foreign agencies.